Princess Charming 3

Chapter 3

Princess Chanel pulls away from her mother as they get further down the hall. She can’t believe that her mother is being so physical with her. She stands there in front of her mother staring at her in disbelief, and her mother is staring at her the same way.

“How dare you sit and converse with a person like that,” Queen Taylor speak with disdain.

“Because, Mother,” Channel says forcefully, “Donnie is the most interesting person I met over the last few nights. She’s kind, smart and respectful. The time I spent speaking with her was the best time I had in two days of all this.”

“I see how she looks at you, she looks like she desires you as a man would.”

As her mother speaks the words she realizes her mother is right, and she smiles. Donnie had looked at her with desire. The princess now realizes that she probably looked the same because she feels the same. But she knows that it was more than a typical physical desire, it was more a desire to get to know more about each other. She stands there in her thoughts for a moment until she hears her mother's voice clearer.

“Why are you smiling?” the Queen questions.

“Um, I Uh,” the princess has no answer for her mother. She stands there trying to come up with something.

“You are to never speak with her again. I forbid it. No daughter of mine will be seen with a woman like that. She is not like us,” the Queen says angrily.

“Is she not a princess? Does that not make her royalty? Are we not royalty?” the princess questions her mother.

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!” the Queen yells, “she is different! She dresses like a man. What type of princess dress like a man, what type of princess looks at another woman that way. It is not natural!”

“In what way mother? As a friend?”

“Don’t be foolish, child. That woman is not safe and you are to stay away from her and that is final. Go to your chambers, I believe you have had enough fun for the night.” the Queen leaves Princess Chanel stunned and in tears.

***

Donnie bursts through the door of her room at the inn with such a fury Mari stands in surprise. Donnie says nothing, just stands there with a look of disappointment and anger. Mari could feel the anger flowing from Donnie like a raging river.

“What happened?” Mari asks, giving Donnie a concerned look.

“Pick up. We are leaving!” Donnie says through gritted teeth.

“What happened?” Mari asks more forceful, “Did you speak with her? Did she react badly?”

“No! I mean, yes, we talked.”

“So, what is the problem, was she rude and disrespectful?” Mari asks concerned seeing that Donnie was about to break down.

“No,” Donnie speaks more calmly after a few breaths, “Chanel is absolutely the most astonishing women I have ever met. We talked and got to know each other. I even kissed her hand.”

“You what?” Mari smiles walking up to Donnie and smacks her on the back, “look at you moving in for the kill. It sounds like it went well with her, why are we leaving so soon?”

“Her mother showed up,” Donnie says somberly.

“Oh.” Mari has a knowing look on her face.

“She said that I lured Chanel out to the mezzanine by pretending to be a man,” She hangs her head, “I was feeling bad until Chanel stood up for me.”

“She stuck up for you to her mother,” Mari says surprised.

“Yes, which only upset her mother more. I stand there as she berates me and her daughter. I did nothing. She pulls her away crying and I did nothing.”

“What exactly what were you supposed to do? Snatch her away from her mother? That really would have worked out for you.”

“I don't know. I feel like I should have done something, not stand there and watch her cry.”

“There was nothing you could do,” Mari says, trying to reassure Donnie.

“It doesn't matter, we need to leave. Gather everything so we can leave in the morning.”

Mari starts packing without another word. She can see the pain on Donnie’s face. A look she is all too familiar with, eyes heavy from holding back tears, trying to be strong when she really just wants to break down. Mari starts to hurt for her friend, she has watched Donnie go through this many times before and it always ended this way. She honestly hoped that this would be different.

Donnie lay there fighting back tears as she watches Mari pack up their things. She finally finds the courage to speak to Chanel. It wasn't like Chanel gives her much choice by following her, if she had known it would have turned out this way she would have just left. But she did know what could happen, she just hoped it wouldn’t.

***

Princess Donnie begins to just going through the motions since the ball. The King and Queen start to question her about her behavior. Donnie’s father watches her as she trains, he notices how she is not paying attention, her form, her stance is sloppy, she is letting down her guard and leaving herself open for attack. It isn’t like her, even as a child she was a natural.

“Get your head back on your shoulders young lady. You are leaving yourself open for attack!” He shouts down. “What is wrong with you? Where you're is your head at?”

“I’m sorry, Father. I just have a few things on my mind.”

“Things on your mind will get you hurt while wielding a weapon. You are finished for the day.”

“Yes, Father,” Donnie says.

Donnie knows she hasn’t been able to concentrate because her mind is always on the Princess. She thinks of how graceful she is, and how eloquently she speaks, makes Donnie want to desperately speak with the Princess again.

As she roams the grounds of the castle, she runs into Mari, who is having what seems to be an interesting conversation with the woman who tends the garden. She stands there for a second listening to Mari sweet talk this woman.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Mari says to the woman, “you won’t get caught. I can have you back before anyone knows you’re gone.”

“I am not too sure. What of the princess? She wanders through here often.”

“You don’t have to worry about her. She's a real pussy cat.”

“Am I. Really?” Donnie can’t help herself, at that point she has been in holding laughter for about 3 mins. “Stop trying to get the servant into trouble Mari.” Both women turn their heads quickly to face Donnie. Mari and the servant girl both have startled looks, though the servant's face showed more fear than Mari’s. Mari shows, amusement at the entire situation she had created.

“Your Highness,” they both say with a bow.

“You may leave,” Donnie tells the young servant girl, “but you Mari; I need to speak with you now.”

“Yes, your highness,” they both say.

“Yes, what do you need?” Mari says smiling.

“I need you to do me a favor.” Donnie laughs.

“Yes, of course.”

“I need you to deliver this.”

***

Weeks pass and Chanel does nothing but think of Donnie. She begins to sit at her window and stare out for hours thinking about how Donnie smelled. How she smelled of lavender. She remembers how soft and raspy her voice is when she speaks. The aching and longing feeling in the pit of her stomach, she got when she hearsDonnie’s voice. Chanel remembers the way Donnie’s soft lips feel, she smiles as she rubs the spot where Donnie’s lips touched her skin. She slowly raises the back of her hand to her face in hope to get the same feeling as if Donnie’s lips had touched her face. She wishes she could have danced with her all night, instead of the constant parade of men that her parents insist she meet. She sits there in silence thinking when her maid entered her room with a goofy slanted grin.

“What are you grinning at?” the princess asks.

“You have been sitting at the window all day staring out into the distance. Is there any particular reason for this?”

“I have just been thinking about the ball.”

“The ball, your highness? Or someone from the ball?” Rosy says with a slight teasing tone in her voice.

“Why would you ask such a question?”

“Because, a letter just arrived for you,” Rosy laughs.

The princess leaps to her feet and quickly reaches for the letter. Rosy dances away for a few beats, teasing, waving the letter in the princess’ face before she let the her have it. The princess beams, she knows who the letter is from. She can smell the lavender when she grabs the letter from Rosy. She can’t control the happiness, and the trembling in her hands as she opens the letter.

My Dearest, Princess,

For weeks I have thought of nothing but you. I awake thinking of you. I fall asleep thinking of you. Images of you bless my dreams. I am completely enamored by you. You are undeniably beautiful, but it was your words that made me fall for you. You spoke so eloquently of the world and your plans to leave your distinguishing mark, that I could not help but fall in love with your spirit.

You are by far the most interesting woman I have met. I would love to speak with you again. I know that this letter may go unanswered, but that was a chance, I was willing to take. I just want to express myself to you in hopes you may feel the same.

If there is a chance that you have not been able to get me off your mind, please write me back.

Yours Truly,

Donnie

The Princess falls back onto the bed, clutching the letter to her heart. Donnie’s words swirl around in her head. She smiles to herself as she runs her finger over each word of the letter she had just received. She holds it close to her nose and inhaled the scent so deeply, her head began to swim.

“I take it is from the mystery man you have been worried about,” Rosy says bringing the princess down from her high. For a moment Chanel thinks about lying and keeping up pretenses so that Rosy would not know she was so excited about a letter from a woman.

“It is from Donnie, The Princess of Zamora,” Chanel says quickly before she can stop herself. “She is the mystery man and she is lovely to be around. She makes me feel things I have never felt before. She just lovely,” the princess blurted out all at once. The words come pouring from her as if her mouth were a broken dam and the words are an extremely powerful flood.

Rosy stands there with her mouth agape and eyes bulging, speechless for several seconds. When she finally speaks, she could only say “really?” at first. She blinks a few more times as if her brain was reminding her to moisturize her eye balls. “A woman, you have been all daydreams and dough eyed over another princess?”

“Yes,” the princess says softly.

“Not just any princess, a princess who dress as a man?”

“Yes,” the Princess smiles shyly, “Like one, but not one.”

“Well, now,” Rosy said as she sees the look in Chanel’s eye’s as she speaks about Donnie.

Chanel sits there and watches as her servant’s face go through what seems like several emotions. It's not until she smiles that the princess relaxes a little. She can see that Rosy is not upset and disgusted like her mother, she sees compassion, caring and amusement in Rosy’s face.

“I am glad to see you showing some interest in someone. I was for sure you would be a spinster.” Rosy laughs.

“A spinster!” Chanel screams and throw one of her pillows at Rosy, “we mustn’t let mother find out. She lost her mind. She literally flipped out when she saw me speaking to her at the ball.”

“Oh wow. Well,” Rosy began, “she must never find out.”

“Thank you. You are a good friend.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Rosy says with a curtsy and leaves the room with tears in her eyes. That is the first time the princess had ever referred to her as a friend. She walks down to her chambers light hearted and smiling, knowing that she was just more than a servant to the princess.